Tricks Up My Sleeve
by smc-27
Summary: Set early S1 - "You want my life? You can have it. One night only. You get Peyton, I get Haley," Nathan suggests. The Scott brothers come to an unlikely agreement. NH, LP. One-shot.


A/N - I know it's long for a one-shot, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone! PS: I heart reviews!

--

--

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Lucas was on the court, where he could usually be found. There was a light rain falling and his shirt was damp, but he kept playing anyway. He'd played well in their game the night before, and for once, it actually seemed like he and Nathan could potentially coexist. He didn't think they'd ever become friends, but they could get along for the sake of the team, at least. He was just thinking how strange the world was - how suddenly the brother he never knew was thrust into his life - when the very person he was thinking of drove up to the court. He inwardly braced himself for what might come from this meeting. Their previous encounters here hadn't exactly been friendly.

"Good game last night," Nathan said, walking onto the concrete.

"Thanks. You too," Lucas replied, holding the ball to his hip.

"I know," the darker haired brother stated smugly, making Lucas shake his head. did this guy have a bone in his body that wasn't arrogant?

"Look, I know I've given you a hard time about joining the team," Nathan started, "But you're actually a pretty decent player when you don't choke." He smiled as he said the last word, but Lucas didn't take it as anything other than an insult. "Just...I'm cool with you being on the team."

Lucas was a bit taken aback by the statement. "Thanks," he managed to say. They stood there for a few moments, until Lucas shot the ball into the net in an attempt to break the tension.

"So listen, I don't know what the deal is with you and Peyton..." Nathan spoke, as he grabbed the rebound.

"Nathan, there is no deal with me and Peyton. I'm not about to hit on someone else's girlfriend, OK?" Luke interrupted.

Nathan started talking, apparently ignoring Lucas' previous statement, "I heard Brooke was naked in the back seat of your car. Sounds like you don't really have to work for it."

"What do you want, Nathan?" Lucas knew Nathan would get to his point eventually, but wanted it to come sooner rather than later.

"No, the question is, what do you want? You want my life? You can have it." Nathan shot the ball. His tone wasn't angry - it was more like he was offering.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked, ignoring the ball bouncing away from them.

"One night only. You get Peyton, I get Haley." The mention of Haley's name from Nathan's mouth was enough to make Lucas mad.

"For what?"

"For whatever you want," Nathan said with a sly grin. Lucas tilted his head at the statement.

"You think they're gonna go for that? Trust me, Haley won't be treated like property." Luke put his hands on his hips.

"They don't have to know. I'll set up a study date with Haley, and I'll tell Peyton to meet me at the River Court, but you'll be here instead." Nathan shrugged his shoulders to signify the simplicity of the plan.

"She'll be pissed at you," Lucas stated.

"She's always pissed at me." They both laughed - it was true.

"Good point." The prospect of spending a night with Peyton Sawyer made his heart race, but he wasn't about to let Haley get hurt so he could hang out with another guy's girlfriend. "Look, I can't do it. I can't do that to Haley."

"Come on, man. You really think I'm enough of a dick to hurt her? I like Haley. She's a good girl." Nathan had started to develop some feelings for Haley, though they just confused him. He had a girlfriend, sort of. He and Peyton were in limbo and he wasn't sure if there was any reason they were still together. Haley wasn't the type of girl he ever went for. But still, there was something about her. He could talk to her about things without ever feeling like she was judging him. He could open up to her. Not to mention, he thought she was gorgeous, in a she-doesn't-know-she's-hot kind of way.

"Yeah, she is. And she doesn't deserve to have you playing with her head." Luke was protective over two women in his life - his mother and Haley.

"Trust me, Luke." Lucas cocked an eyebrow at the statement, as if trusting Nathan was something he would never do. "Come on. I won't toy with her. We'll just hang out."

Lucas mulled over what Nathan was offering. He'd been thinking about Peyton since the day her car broke down. Actually, he'd been thinking about her since the day he first noticed her long legs walking past his 13 year old self. And he knew Haley - she wouldn't let Nathan get away with anything, even if he tried. To be honest, lately he'd been getting the impression that she was actually starting to like the guy.

"OK. One condition, though," Lucas said. "Haley never finds out. Ever."

"Peyton either," Nathan said, and Lucas nodded. "Deal." The two former enemies shook hands. "Tonight. Be here at 7:00."

--

Lucas went home and watched the clock for the rest of the day. He and Haley had made plans the day before, but she called to cancel, saying Nathan needed last minute help for a test he was taking on Monday. He smiled for a couple reasons: 1, she had no clue what the boys were up to, and 2, she didn't lie to him about why she needed to cancel. To make it seem realistic, he made some comment about her blowing him off for Nathan, but told her not to feel guilty because he understood she had made a commitment to help him.

Luke changed into jeans and a tee shirt, and threw on a jacket before heading to the River Court. He got a knot in his stomach when he got there. She hadn't arrived yet, but he knew she'd be there shortly. He didn't know what it was about Peyton. She was just unlike any girl he'd met. She didn't care what people thought about her - or at least she let anyone think that she didn't. She was an amazing artist, but didn't let on she had a specific talent. It was like she'd been hiding it, and waiting for someone who would understand her enough to see her art for what it was - an extension of herself. Lucas understood. She'd been fighting her feelings for him since they first spoke. He'd been sweet and kind, a far cry from Nathan. He told her things she'd never expected someone to tell her on their first meeting and it surprised her, but also put her at ease. She got the feeling that he already trusted her enough to tell her. The more she thought about Lucas, the less she thought her and Nathan should be together.

He'd just put up a shot and watched it sink through the net when he saw her car pulling up the the court. He grabbed his rebound and watched her walk towards him.

"Hey," she said coldly.

"Hey," he replied.

"I'm supposed to meet Nathan and I don't want to have to break up a fight, so..." She put her hands in her hips and tilted her head.

"Are you telling me to leave?" he asked, feigning annoyance.

"I'm not telling you to do anything," she stated. "Just you two can't be in the same place without getting into a brawl."

He laughed at the statement, which was actually pretty accurate until a few days before.

"Well, look. I'll just wait with you until he gets here." Lucas sat at the picnic table and she joined him.

"Why would you do that?" she asked. "If he sees you talking to me he'll get mad."

"Because I can't just leave a girl sitting alone, in the dark, in an empty park." He looked at her and saw her smiling. "It just wouldn't be right."

"Wow," she said.

"What?"

"You're actually just a nice guy," she said, in genuine surprise.

"And yet, you're with a guy who treats you like this," he said.

"Like what?" she asked, slightly angry. Her and Nathan had had an argument the day before and had given themselves a cooling off period before talking again. If she was being honest, they may have just both realized it was over.

"Waiting for him. Everything on his terms. Why do you do it?" He leaned forward and waited for her answer.

"You've asked me that before," she said dryly.

"Yeah, and you gave me a shitty answer," he laughed. "Sometimes it's good? It should always be good. Or at least most of the time be good."

She just looked at him, and he knew that she knew he was right. She didn't say anything for the next few minutes, and avoided eye contact. She checked her watch again, and saw that it was 7:15.

"You think he's coming?" he asked softly. He didn't want to seem inconsiderate.

"Probably not." Her green eyes met his blue ones and he noticed the sadness hers held.

"Sorry," he said.

"Right," she replied sarcastically.

"I am," he said, with a sincerity that actually affected her. It was that moment when she realized that not all guys were jerks.

"So look, you want to hang out?" she asked.

"Haven't we been doing that for the last 20 minutes?" he teased.

"Shut up. You can buy me dinner." They got up and walked to her car.

He was actually on a date with Peyton Sawyer. Sure, she may not have known it was a date, but that's how he was treating it. He was happy to buy her dinner. He was happy to be there for her. He was even happier to just be with her.

--

"Nathan! You did awesome on this practice quiz!" Haley said, holding up the paper and showing him that he'd gotten 86 per cent. The smile on her face nearly killed him. She'd been so guarded and sarcastic every time she'd tutored him and the way her face lit up when she smiled completely shocked him. She was beautiful, there was no denying it. He wondered why Lucas never made a move on this girl, but didn't dare ask. Even though he still technically had a girlfriend, part of him (OK, a few parts of him) wanted Haley for himself.

"You make everything seem really easy," he said.

"I don't think that's it. I think you're just smarter than you give yourself credit for," she said, taking a sip from the mug that had been sitting in front of her. She was always drinking tea. He never thought seeing someone sip tea could be sexy, but the way she twisted the string of the tea bag around her finger while she spoke drove him crazy, in a good way.

"I think I just have a really good tutor." He smiled at her and she looked back to her book. He had a strange effect on her. She'd never felt like this about someone before. She thought he was completely misunderstood by everyone. Some of the conversations they'd had over the past couple weeks had been really - insightful. She knew he put on an act for everyone else, but he was vulnerable with her. He let his guard down with her.

"So I think we're done for the night," she announced.

"Really? That's it? You've only been here for an hour," he said, checking the clock on the wall.

"Yup. Now I get to go home and pretend I don't hear my hippie parents having ridiculous conversations all night long."

"You call _them_ hippies? You're the one in the crocheted poncho," he teased, batting playfully at the bottom of the garment.

"Shut up! I love this poncho," she said, running her hand along her collar bone. "My mom made it..." Her voice trailed at the admittance, and he just smirked at her.

"Come on, let's do something fun," he said, closing his book.

"Fun?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, we never do anything fun together. You're always just trying to get me to focus on school work."

"Nathan, no offense, but I think my idea of fun is a bit different than yours," she said, turning in her seat to look at him. His blue eyes met hers and she had to remind herself that she was just tutoring him.

"What does that mean?" he asked. He wasn't offended, he just wanted to know what she meant.

"I mean you go out drinking at beach houses and I stay in my room and listen to music and watch sitcoms on T.V.!" She started packing her things into her bag.

"Haley, I listen to music too," he said.

"You listen to Wu-Tang Clan while you lift weights. I listen to Sheryl Crow while I read." She tilted her head at him.

"Well, do you like the beach?" he asked.

"Nathan..."

"Just come for a walk with me. You can't say no to that."

"What about Peyton?" she asked.

"What about her? I didn't ask you to make out with me." He grinned again, trying to play the comment off as a joke, but as soon as he'd said the words, he thought about what it would be like to kiss her.

Haley James making out with Nathan Scott? She never even really thought that could be a possibility until he just said the words. Now it was all she could think about.

"OK! Fine. Let's go." She made it sound like she didn't really want to go, but every part of her wanted to just be around him. She was definitely crushing him.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him when she agreed to go with him. He was worried she'd see the huge smile on his face that she was responsible for. She grabbed her bag off the counter and started walking towards the door. Even beneath that ridiculous poncho, he noticed her perfect frame.

He held the car door open and closed it behind her when she tucked her legs inside. When he sat in the drivers' seat next to her and turned the key, he got an idea.

"So why don't you put on one of your CD's and you can tell me what you like about it."

"Nathan, you won't like my music. You can actually understand the words and the lyrics mean something more than who is going to get 'cut' and who's a 'wanksta'," she said, using finger quotes to emphasize her point.

"See, you're showing me why you like it," he said. He watched her take out a CD and put it into the player as they started down the street. To his surprise, sitting here with her next to him, her music seemed to fit. He actually found himself understanding and getting caught up in the lyrics and simple melodies. She made everything so easy for him. She made it really easy for him to forget about his girlfriend.

--

"This might be the best pizza I've ever tasted," Peyton said, wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah, Keith and I found this place." A smile came across her face as he spoke. "He's been like a father," he said, then saw her face change. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Dan's an ass." She smiled and took a sip of her soda.

"That's what Keith says," he joked.

"Keith sounds like a really great guy," she said.

"I still think it's really weird that you've never met him," he stated.

"Well, Nathan and I aren't exactly, um," she paused to find the right word. "Let's just say that it's not important enough to involve the extended family."

"Why not?" he asked innocently.

"He and I are not going to last." She said it with finality - she knew it was true.

"So why stay with him?" He picked at the crust on his plate.

"You really have to stop asking me that." She leaned back in her chair and avoided eye contact.

"Why?"

"Because the more you ask me, the more I realize that there's no reason." Her eyes finally met his and it felt like a shock running through him.

"Oh," he said. He searched his brain for something more to say, and was never more relieved to see a bill come in his life. The waitress set the paper on their table and shot Lucas a smile. He reached for his wallet.

"You don't really have to buy me dinner," Peyton said, reaching into her bag.

"Hey, don't you dare. I got it," he insisted.

They walked out of the restaurant and she was a few steps ahead of him. He looked her up and down quickly, as he tended to do from time to time. His mind started running, with thoughts of his hands tangled in her hair and him placing kisses on her ivory white stomach. _'Stop it,'_ he thought to himself. But he couldn't help himself. He was a teenaged boy, after all.

"Luke?" Peyton tried to get his attention, but noticed the glazed over look in his eyes. "Lucas!"

"Hey. Sorry. Just got...sidetracked for a second," he said, blushing. She wasn't sure what caused that reaction, but he looked adorable. She'd only ever really seen him brooding. He was not like his brother - they could not look more different - but he was good looking. His soft features and those eyes...there was something in his eyes that made her think he knew too much.

"It's OK," she said. "You want to come to my place?"

"Uhh," the question caught him off guard. "What about your dad?"

"He's not home. He's on a job." She opened her car door and he did the same on his side of the vehicle.

"Are you sure?" he asked timidly.

"Oh my God, are you a girl, or what? Just come hang out." She started the car as he laughed. She did know how to insult him - but for some reason it never affected him. Well, not badly anyway. He liked that she didn't mince words. That kind of honesty was refreshing, especially from a girl.

--

"So how many houses do you have?" Haley asked as they walked from the Scott's beach house, down the boardwalk towards the sand.

"Just two," he said, laughing.

"_Just_ two?" she laughed.

"Well it's not like it's my choice. My parents work pretty hard for what we have." He wasn't exactly defending them, but he was telling the truth. Everyone saw him as the boy with the silver spoon. The boy whose dad bought him a car and lived in a mansion and got everything he wanted.

"I know they do," she said. She understood him. It was a scary thing for both of them. How did she have so much in common with this person who was from a completely different world than she was? And how could he - why did he - feel more comfortable and more himself with her than with his own girlfriend?

"Come here," he said, taking her hand. It felt good to have her delicate little hand in his. It felt right.

She felt a shiver through her body when he touched her. He'd never done more than playfully bump into her, and this was something completely different. She remembered the first day she'd tutored him, and thought of the bracelet that was now sitting on the table next to her bed. Was that the start of all this?

"Where are you taking me?" she asked innocently.

"This is my favourite spot," he said as he helped her climb up onto a boulder at the edge of the beach. The water was crashing around the rocks in front of them, and the two of them stood there, watching the moonlight bounce off the ocean. He still had her hand in his, and he wondered if she felt awkward, or if she was enjoying it as much as he was.

"This is amazing," she said, her eyes looking up to meet his.

"Yeah, it is," he replied. She didn't know it - at least he hoped she didn't - but he was talking about her.

After a few more minutes of just standing there listening to the world around them, Haley spoke.

"How did you find this place?" she asked. "I mean, I thought you only played basketball and partied." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how terrible the statement sounded. She looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's OK," he interrupted her. "Most people think that." He smiled at her and stepped down off the rock they were on, and helped her down. "When things get really hard with my dad or with basketball, I come out here and just sit," he said, as they started to walk along the sand. "It's like, no matter how screwed things get, I can come out here and be reminded that there's something bigger than me. Bigger than all of it."

He didn't notice she was staring at him until he stopped talking, then looked over at her. "I bet that sounds really cheesy," he said, embarrassedly.

"No. No, it doesn't at all," she said softly. "There's this park at the edge of town - Walters Park - that hardly anyone ever goes to. It's just grass and trees and wildflowers. Lucas and I found it when we were like, 10." She laughed at the memory. "There's this one huge maple tree. You know, the kind with those huge leaves?" She held her hands apart to show the size and looked up at Nathan, he nodded back at her with a grin. "Well Lucas stopped going there and started going to the River Court instead. But, I don't know. That place is like, the most peaceful place on the planet for me. Sometimes I just go there and read or lay on the grass. Even if I'm only there for 10 minutes, I feel more relaxed." She chuckled and looked ad her feet. "That makes me sound normal, I'm sure," she said sarcastically.

"We should go there sometime," he said.

"What?" she asked, looking at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"We should. Next time you tutor me or next time we hang out."

_'Next time,'_ she thought. Would there be a next time? And what about his girlfriend. Haley James was a lot of things, but she wasn't the kind of girl who'd steal someone's boyfriend.

They walked for another few minutes. They were the only two people on the beach. It was a cool night, and a gust of wind made her shiver.

"Here," he said, taking off his sweater.

"Nathan, you'll freeze!" she said as he draped it over her shoulders.

"Better me than you," he said with a grin. That small grin, and the scent of his sweater, made her stomach flutter. She was definitely not just his tutor.

--

Peyton led Lucas up the stairs of her house and into her bedroom. He stood anxiously at the door as she threw her jacket over her desk chair and flopped down on her bed.

"It's not a vortex, Lucas, you can come in," she said, smirking at him.

"It's just...This is weird, right?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Weird how?" she asked.

"You have a boyfriend, who is the brother I never knew, who stood you up, whose dad happens to be the man who abandoned me and my mom. We've had, like, three actual conversations, and now I'm sitting in your bedroom."

"OK, when you put it like that..." she said, making him laugh. She got up to put some music on. "So, what's going on with you and Brooke?" she asked, avoiding eye contact.

"Don't you know? I mean, you two are BFF's, aren't you?" he teased. She tilted her head and threw him a glare. "Nothing's going on," be stated. "Brooke's..." his voice trailed.

"Aggressive?" she suggested.

"Very," he said. "She's a nice girl, I just don't really go for that, you know?"

"What? Hot cheerleaders stripping in your back seat?" she said, sitting at her desk chair. "Don't exactly read that kind of thing in a Steinbeck novel, do you?" He shot her a quizzical look. "I see you reading sometimes."

"You watching me, Sawyer?" he teased, leaning back on his elbows.

"Oh God," she rolled her eyes. "I just notice things, that's all."

"What else do you notice?" he asked with a smirk.

She searched her head for options. DId she actually want to let him know that she'd been watching him since the day they first spoke? She decided to take the plunge. She'd never admit something like this to Nathan, but with Lucas...well, with Lucas it felt normal to just talk.

"You sit in the library and read at lunch. I know because I sit in there and draw. Last week you were reading Steinbeck, this week you've been carrying around a battered copy of Julius Caesar." She looked up to meet his eyes, and their blueness still surprised her.

"My mom gave me that," he said.

"You and her are close," she stated.

"Yeah. Her and Keith are all I've ever really had," he said, and Peyton half-smiled. "Well, them and Haley."

"What's the deal with you two, anyway?" she asked. "You are like, joined at the hip."

"People are always asking that!" He leaned his head back, then sat upright again to explain. "Haley and I have been friends since we were 7. She's like my sister. She's the only person who every really understood my, um, family situation. Well, her and the River Court guys, but we don't really talk about that, you know?" Peyton nodded. "Haley didn't care about any of it. She just wanted to hang out. We're just...we're always there for each other. We tell each other everything," he said, smiling.

"Wow," she said. "So she's like, your Brooke." He laughed at the statement and looked at Peyton, signaling for her to clarify. "Brooke and I basically grew up together. We were always in the same classes and went to the same birthday parties and everything," she chuckled. "But when my mom died, Brooke was the only friend who was brave enough to come around. We cried together and she held my hand when I visited the cemetery for the first time. When my dad was too upset to really look after me, she was the one who was here making sure I was OK." Lucas smiled sympathetically, and thought of the two 8 year olds, one blonde, one brunette, sitting in this room joking and laughing, or crying together and wiping each others' tears. "We've been best friends ever since."

He could only nod. Who knew he and Peyton would have so much in common? He got the impression they were both different people than they let almost anyone else see. He'd never cared about what the popular crowd thought of him, and for tonight, he felt like she wasn't a part of that group. He felt like they were connected somehow.

Somewhere during the evening, Peyton started to think she was dating the wrong brother. She'd only met Lucas a couple weeks before, but she felt like she knew him better than she knew Nathan. And more importantly, she felt like he knew her better than Nathan did. He cared enough to ask things. Nathan had always been to wrapped up in his own drama and issues to ever care about hers. If she wasn't sure about it before, she was sure now that her and Nathan were done.

--

Nathan and Haley sat on the beach together for a couple hours. They sat facing each other, not the tide. They'd both completely forgotten about the time, but neither cared. Haley's parents were away for the weekend, and Nathan's wouldn't be concerned.

"So why do you stick up for Lucas so much?" he asked her during a lull in the conversation.

"He's my best friend," she stated. "Wouldn't you stick up for your best friend like that?"

"People don't really mess with my friends," he said.

"Right. Your friends are the ones who do the messing." He chuckled. "Sorry," she said.

"I just find it hard to believe that you two are as close as you are and there's nothing going on," he said, looking up from the sand.

"Most people do," she said, rolling her eyes. "But we're just friends."

"Good," he said, before he could stop himself.

"Good?" she asked meekly.

He was in it now. He had to explain. He could make some crack about Lucas not being his favourite person, or he could tell her the truth. Like he always did with her, he wanted to tell the truth.

"Good because I was hoping you would say that."

The look on her face expressed pure shock. "Nathan..." She tried to speak, but he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the mouth. He pulled away and looked down at the sand again, afraid to see what expression would be on her face now.

"Why did you do that?" she asked softly. Her heart was racing. She wanted him to kiss her again.

"I wanted to," he said, still not looking at her. Before he could explain himself further, he felt her hands on his face, and she pulled his lips to hers. It surprised him that she'd done it, but he wasn't about to complain. He felt her tongue softly run along his bottom lip and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. They stayed like that for a long time, kissing and giggling on the beach. He'd leaned her backward so he was on top of her and her hands ran through his short hair.

That night, Nathan realized Haley James was many things. She was a great tutor, sarcastic but honest, a loyal friend, beautiful, and an incredible kisser. He didn't want to let her go. He wasn't about to let her get away...

--

"You are full of surprises," Lucas said, laying himself on his back next to her on her bed. He was growing more comfortable in this space, and in her presence. The nervousness he'd felt earlier that day was completely erased by their easy conversation.

"What does that mean?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

"You just have this kind of cold exterior. Like you don't want anyone to know you," he looked into her green eyes. "But you're an amazing person when you let people in."

She swallowed hard, and hoped he hadn't noticed. She was the nervous one now. She felt completely bare in front of him. She had feared that once he knew her, he wouldn't like what he saw, but his admission proved that wasn't the case.

"Well, you aren't exactly the person you let everyone think you are, either," she said, rolling onto her side and propping herself up on her elbow.

"Oh really?" he asked, as he replicated how she was laying.

"Yeah. I mean, you're so broody all the time. And you make yourself look like a total nerd." He laughed at her use of the word. "But you're actually really funny and sweet."

"Sweet?" he asked with his trademark half-grin.

"You hold doors open, buy dinners...you're a sweet guy, Luke." She blinked softy in what she knew was a flirty way. She hadn't intended to do it, but that moment, with him staring at her with that stupid grin that - since the first time she'd seen it - made her stomach flutter, she felt herself losing the battle she was having with herself.

Somewhere amid that thought, he'd moved his body closer to hers so there was barely any space between them. Her eyes travelled to his lips, which didn't go unnoticed by him. Before she could kiss him, he'd kissed her. His lips were soft on hers and he pulled away after a few moments, leaving her wanting more of him.

"Sorry," he said, sheepishly.

"No you're not," she smiled. Their faces were still only inches apart, but he wasn't looking in her eyes now. She could tell he was embarrassed, and she didn't want him to be, so she kissed him again and slid her arm around his back. His hands got tangled in her blonde curls as he deepened the kiss. She rolled onto her back and he followed suit, resting his weight gently on her as their tongues moved together.

He finally broke away from her and looked down into her green eyes, which now had a sparkle that he hoped with everything in him that he was responsible for.

"I've wanted this for so long," he said softly, smiling down at her.

--

Seven years have passed since the day Lucas and Nathan hatched their secret plan. After that day, the two of them had started getting closer and closer, and now, they're brothers and best friends. They'd been completely honest about each of their evenings with the girls, and no punches were thrown, which surprised both of them. Peyton and Nathan broke up - for good - the next day, and there were no hard feelings. They both knew it was the end, and they, too, were honest with each other. Nathan told Peyton he had feelings for Haley, and Peyton told Nathan she had feelings for Lucas.

Nathan and Haley were married before the end of their junior year, surprising everyone but themselves. The truth is they were more in love than either of them could ever imagine being. They got married on the beach, in acknowledgment of the first night they knew they wanted to be with each other; the night of their first kiss(es). They went off to school together, and their son, James Lucas Scott was born the day after their college graduation. They returned to Tree Hill and bought a large house when Nathan was hired as the head coach of the Ravens and Haley got a teaching job at the same school.

Peyton and Lucas waited considerably longer before getting married, but at 21, they couldn't wait any more. They were married in a small church, in a small ceremony with their closest family and friends in attendance. They bought a small house in Tree Hill and lived alone until two years ago, when their son, Isaac Nathan Scott, was born. He was 5 months younger than his cousin. Lucas published three novels and was Nathan's assistant coach, and Peyton had started her own record label, which had signed 5 major artists, each selling platinum albums.

The two families were near inseparable. They did almost everything together - from birthdays, to vacations, to Sunday dinners. This week, it was at Lucas and Peyton's.

Now, Lucas and Nathan watched as their wives played with their sons in the back yard of Lucas and Peyton's home. They each had a beer in their hands as they waited for their dinner to finish cooking on the grill.

"Doesn't get any better than this, big brother," Nathan said, patting his Lucas' shoulder with his left hand.

"Tell me about it," Lucas replied. Neither of them took their eyes off their wives.

"You remember the day we..." Nathan started.

"Yeah," Lucas interrupted. They hadn't talked about it since shortly after it had happened.

"You ever tell her?" Nathan asked. Lucas turned to face his brother.

"I had to. I can't keep secrets from Peyton," he spoke softly, and waited for Nathan's response.

"Good," the younger brother said with a grin. "I told Haley, too."

The two men laughed loudly, and their sons came running up the steps onto the porch and they scooped up their little boys. Haley and Peyton watched from afar as the loves of their lives interacted with their children.

"You know they masterminded this whole thing, right?" Haley asked, turning to her best friend and sister-in-law.

"Yeah," Peyton replied with a chuckle. She knew what Haley was referring to. "You complaining?"

"Never," Haley said with a smile, looking back towards the porch and her whole world. She threw her arm around Peyton's waist and the blonde responded in kind. The two walked towards their husbands. "Wouldn't change a thing."


End file.
